A zinc ion-exchanging battery device comprising: (A) a cathode comprising two cathode active materials (a zinc ion intercalation compound and a surface-mediating material); (B) an anode containing zinc metal or zinc alloy; (C) a porous separator disposed between the cathode and the anode; and (D) an electrolyte containing zinc ions that are exchanged between the cathode and the anode during battery charge/discharge. The zinc ion intercalation compound is selected from chemically treated carbon or graphite material having an expanded inter-graphene spacing d.sub.002 of at least 0.5 nm, or an oxide, carbide, dichalcogenide, trichalcogenide, sulfide, selenide, or telluride of niobium, zirconium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, manganese, iron, nickel, or a combination thereof. The surface-mediating material contains exfoliated graphite or multiple single-layer sheets or multi-layer platelets of a graphene material.

The present invention provides a rechargeable battery including an electrolyte, a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an isolation membrane arranged between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, an active substance of said positive electrode including one or more of manganese oxide and manganese oxyhydroxide an active substance of said negative electrode including zinc and electrolyte salts in said electrolyte contain one or more of zinc alkylsulfonate, zinc arylsulfonate, zinc fluoroborate, zinc alkylsulfate hydrate, zinc arylsulfonate hydrate and zinc fluoroborate hydrate. The rechargeable battery, according to the present invention, will not only effectively avoid the irreversible sulfation of the positive electrode, improve the reversibility of the positive electrode, significantly prolong the cycle life of the rechargeable battery and achieve a higher energy density as well, but also avert problems of chloride ions corrosion and frequent nitrate ions reduction. Compared with the lithium battery on the market, the rechargeable battery according to the present invention uses low-cost materials, and therefore has better economic benefits.

The present invention provides a rechargeable battery including an electrolyte, a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an isolation membrane arranged between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, an active substance of said positive electrode including one or more of manganese oxide and manganese oxyhydroxide an active substance of said negative electrode including zinc and electrolyte salts in said electrolyte contain one or more of zinc alkylsulfonate, zinc arylsulfonate, zinc fluoroborate, zinc alkylsulfate hydrate, zinc arylsulfonate hydrate and zinc fluoroborate hydrate. The rechargeable battery, according to the present invention, will not only effectively avoid the irreversible sulfation of the positive electrode, improve the reversibility of the positive electrode, significantly prolong the cycle life of the rechargeable battery and achieve a higher energy density as well, but also avert problems of chloride ions corrosion and frequent nitrate ions reduction. Compared with the lithium battery on the market, the rechargeable battery according to the present invention uses low-cost materials, and therefore has better economic benefits.

Disclosed are: nickel complex hydroxide particles that have small and uniform particle diameters; and a method by which the nickel complex hydroxide particles can be produced. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing a nickel complex hydroxide by a crystallization reaction, which comprises: a nucleation step in which nucleation is carried out, while controlling an aqueous solution for nucleation containing an ammonium ion supplying material and a metal compound that contains nickel to have a pH of 12.0-13.4 at a liquid temperature of 25 C.; and a particle growth step in which nuclei are grown, while controlling an aqueous solution for particle growth containing the nuclei, which have been formed in the nucleation step, to have a pH of 10.5-12.0 at a liquid temperature of 25 C. In this connection, the pH in the particle growth step is controlled to be less than the pH in the nucleation step.

Systems and methods that facilitate enhancing the energy storage capabilities of MnO.sub.2 in nanowire energy storage devices such as nanowire-based capacitors or batteries.

An electrical or electrochemical cell, including a cathode layer, an electrolyte layer, and an anode layer is disclosed. The cathode layer includes a first material providing a cathodic electric transport, charge storage or redox function. The electrolyte layer includes a polymer, a first electrolyte salt, and/or an ionic liquid. The anode layer includes a second material providing an anodic electric transport, charge storage or redox function. At least one of the cathode and anode layers includes the ionic liquid, a second electrolyte salt, and/or a transport-enhancing additive.

Here are described core-shell nanoparticles comprising a porous core, a shell layer and sulfur diffused through the pores of the porous core, their use in electrode materials as well as their methods of preparation. Also described are composite materials, electrode materials, electrodes, and electrochemical cells comprising the core-shell nanoparticles and their use in lithium sulfur batteries.

Here are described core-shell nanoparticles comprising a porous core, a shell layer and sulfur diffused through the pores of the porous core, their use in electrode materials as well as their methods of preparation. Also described are composite materials, electrode materials, electrodes, and electrochemical cells comprising the core-shell nanoparticles and their use in lithium sulfur batteries.

The invention features a method of making a battery electrode for an electrochemical cell. The method includes mixing a base polymer with an ion source, and then reacting the base polymer with an electron acceptor in the presence of the ion source to form a solid, ionically conductive polymer material having an ionic conductivity greater than 110.sup.4 S/cm at room temperature. The battery electrode is electrochemically active when used in the electrochemical cell.

The invention features a method of making a battery electrode for an electrochemical cell. The method includes mixing a base polymer with an ion source, and then reacting the base polymer with an electron acceptor in the presence of the ion source to form a solid, ionically conductive polymer material having an ionic conductivity greater than 110.sup.4 S/cm at room temperature. The battery electrode is electrochemically active when used in the electrochemical cell.